And the winners are…
The votes have been tallied, the judges have conferred, and the winners of the 2012 Duluth Holiday Lighting Contest have been named. Congratulations to the winners. Be sure to visit all of the excellent participating displays for a real holiday treat.
Battered
White-nose syndrome is devastating bat populations on the East Coast – and it’s already reached the eastern end of Lake Superior. Bats consume “vast numbers of insect pests that spread disease and damage crops and forests,” writes the Minnesota DNR on its new WNS page; the syndrome could wreak havoc on Big Lake ecosystems. This Minnesota Conservation Volunteer has more on the disease.
Surf and Turf
After last weekend’s snowstorm on the western side of the Lake, Evan Lawrence braved the cold and pulled off a rare adventure-sports feat, reports the Duluth New Tribune.
- Upper Peninsula app developers are keeping talent local while servicing clients around the world, reports UP’s Second Wave.
- The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants the moose labeled a “species of special concern” as the DNR updates its endangered species list, reports WDIO.
- The harrowing story of the HMS Bounty’s final hours, as reported by Spiegel Online. The legendary tall ship sunk in the Atlantic during Hurricane Sandy, claiming the lives of two crewmembers. The Bounty had been scheduled to appear at tall ship festivals around the Great Lakes next year.
- Paul Sundberg’s photo of the week features the holiday lights of Duluth’s waterfront.
- Who says you can’t bike to work in the winter? Meet the fat-tire bike, writes Second Wave media.
A Look at the Week Ahead
Friday, Dec. 14: Our Shared Planet – a traveling environmental exhibit featuring life-size, hand-carved animal sculptures – opens at the Washburn Cultural Center.
Friday, Dec. 14 – Sunday, Dec. 16: “Singin’ in the Rain” at the Kiwanis Community Theatre Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, performed by the Sault Symphony Orchestra.
Tuesday, Dec. 18: Blue Canvas Christmas at Wisconsin’s Big Top Chautauqua. 7:30 p.m.